


Meetings

by RikiBotic



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, City Boy Kageyama Tobio, Established Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Farm Boy Hinata Shouyou, Kageyama Tobio-centric, Literal mom Sugawara Koushi, M/M, Mentioned Azumane Asahi, Mentioned Iwaizumi Hajime, countryside
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-23
Updated: 2019-07-23
Packaged: 2020-07-12 04:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19940047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RikiBotic/pseuds/RikiBotic
Summary: Tobio falls out of a truck and chaos ensues.Reuploaded with minor edits





	Meetings

“I don’t have any signal.” Kageyama held his dying phone to the sky, but the three dots at the top of his screen continued to taunt him. He sighed, sitting cross-legged on the roof of his caretaker’s car. “What about you?”

Oikawa groaned, “None.” He shoved the teen off the roof of the car before taking his place.

“Damn.” Kageyama shoved the man off the roof. “This wouldn’t have happened if you brought Iwaizumi with us!”

“ _ My  _ fault?!” Oikawa shrieked, grabbing a fist full of dirt and tossing it at Kageyama. “You were driving! You should’ve been watching the gas!”

“I don’t even have a license, you  _ made  _ me drive!” Kageyama dodged the dust, hopping over the hood and chasing Oikawa.

“Don’t you talk back to me!” The brunet jumped onto the roof after a lap around the Kei car. Kageyama quickly scurried after him. He threw himself at him, but Oikawa jumped into the vehicle before locking the doors. “I’m your caretaker!”

“Well, you suck at your job!” He rammed his body against the door with no success. Scoffing, he slid down the door, sitting on the side of the dirt road. He focused on the sounds from the road until he heard muffled speech from inside the car. “Oikawa, you lying bastard! Call roadside assistance if you can call Iwaizumi!” 

“Shut up, I’ll call them in a second!” Kageyama slammed his head against the door. He stared at the endless fields before him, overly focused on the flowy movements of the grass. A thin coil slithered on the floor and inched towards him. He held himself flush against the door. “Oikawa…” He whispered.

“What?”

“Open the door, there’s a snake.”

“THERE’S A SNAKE?!”

The creature dove for Kageyama, but in a burst of speed Oikawa opened the door, yanked Kageyama inside, slammed it shut, and locked it all in time for beast’s teeth to hit the metal.

“Tobio-chan.” A gentle hand rocked his shoulder. “Come on, Tobio-chan. You need to wake up.” The soft tone was uncharacteristic of Oikawa, Kageyama couldn’t help but open his eyes. Two men stood behind Oikawa, who had his hand on the boy’s arm. Of course, he thought. Oikawa would leave him in the car to cook if there was no one to witness it. “Come on, Tobio-chan, time to go.” He hesitantly crawled out after Oikawa.

“Thank you for helping us.” Oikawa bowed his head politely. “I hope we don’t keep you very long.”

“It’s quite alright.” The man chuckled. “The nearest tow truck is still a couple of hours away, we’ll just take you to the town you were heading for so at least you’ll have somewhere less crowded to sleep.”

“Thank you, sir, that’s more than we could ask.”

“Alright then, the pickup’s bed is yours. It won’t take more than three hours so you should call your folks when you get some reception again.”

“Of course, thank you.” The duo nodded their heads as the men got into the front of the car. “Come on, Tobio-chan. Into the bed, you go!” Oikawa shoved the boy to the bed.

“I’m going, I’m going.” Kageyama cautiously climbed into the bed. He tripped over himself before he could even get up.

“Dumbass.” Oikawa hissed as he pushed the teen. The push let Kageyama finally make it to the bed. He leaned over to grab Oikawa’s arm and helped pull him up. “Thanks.”

“Just don’t push me out.”

“No promises.”

“That bitch.”

Kageyama sat up, his head pounding and his bones aching. He was in the dead center of the dirt road, dust and debris coating him from head to toe. The sun was just peeking over the horizon of grassy fields when he brought himself to his feet. A sharp pain went through his leg as soon as he tried to get to the side of the road. He tried to get his weight off the injury, seeing a truck approaching in the distance. He waved his arms over his head and thankfully the vehicle came to a slow stop behind him. 

A tan man leaned his head out of the window. “Are you alright?”

“Oh my god, Daichi is he alright?!” A grey-haired man in the passenger seat slapped the former’s arm, crawling out of the pickup. He was around Kageyama’s height, inspecting his body for any injuries. “Can you walk? Where’s your family?”

“I kinda…” He pointed to the road, whipping his head around in confusion. “Fell out of a truck?”

“Fell out of a truck?!” The man threw open the door to the car. “Daichi, we’re taking him to the hospital.”

“No, no, no, no, I’m okay, I’m okay!” He locked his feet to the floor. “Can I just… get a ride to the nearest town?”

“Of course, kid.” The man, Daichi he assumed, tapped the car door. 

“We need to take care of you first, the nearest town doesn’t have a hospital.” The pale man helped him into the vehicle before reaching for something in the back. A thud came from the bed of the truck and suddenly the man appeared in the opening. “Are you hungry?” He held out a carton of milk and a bright red apple. Kageyama took them eagerly as the man settled into the seat next to him. 

“Sawamura Daichi.” A hand reached out to shake his own. Sipping his milk, he turned to shake the other man’s hand.

“Sugawara Koushi, you can call me Suga.” Suga gave him a pat on the shoulder. “And you are?”

“Kageyama Tobio. Thank you for the ride and the food.”

“Of course, we have a boy around your age at home. We wouldn’t want him waiting in the streets either.”

“M-My age?” He coughed around the straw. “You seem fairly young.”

“I’m pretty sure twenties is still considered young.” Daichi chuckled, coaxing the wheel for a slight turn. “We’re not very far in age, we just took him and his sister in quite recently. Our parents knew each other but-”

“Daichi.” Suga reached over Kageyama’s head to whack Daichi. Daichi simply chuckled again, resting his arm outside of the window. Suga took Kageyama’s empty carton and tossed it into the trash. “Don’t mind him, just get some rest.”

They didn’t talk during the ride. What Kageyama knew was less than an hour felt like an eternity sitting between the two men. The silence was only broken when they pulled up in front of a home at the edge of town. A boy in a bucket hat and shorts stood on the porch watering flowers below him with a little girl. She caught sight of the pickup truck and ran right at them. “Daddies!” Suga hurried out of the car and caught her just before she could trip over her sandals. 

“Hello, little Natsu.” He nuzzled her cheek, making her giggle loudly. “Were you good for your big brother while your dad and I were out?”

“Yes, yes!” She raised her hands over her head. “I listened to Sho-chan allllllll day.”

Suga laughed before passing her over to Daichi. “Shouyo!” He called to the boy. “Come here, there’s someone I want you to meet.” The boy nodded before jogging over.

More features became apparent as Shouyo approached; He was short, incredibly so, maybe a head shorter than Kageyama. His hair was a bright, almost abnormal, orange. If it wasn’t for his sister’s matching color, he’d assumed it’d been dyed. As he reached them, he bowed his head to Kageyama, looking at him expectantly for a response. Kageyama awkwardly nodded his acknowledgment. 

“Shouyo, this is Kageyama. Could you help him inside and run him a bath?” Suga helped Kageyama out of the car, carefully putting his arm around Shouyo’s shoulders. “Thank you, make sure he’s alright.”

“Alright, Suga-san.” The boy nodded before carefully guiding Kageyama to the house. From the corner of his eye, he could see Natsu happily cradling a watermelon as she followed Daichi, who was carrying jugs of milk to the home.

The inside of their home was simple, sprinkled with photos of the two men, a smiling Natsu, and a calm Shouyo. The simplicity was a sharp contrast to the family unit, which seemed to be far more complicated than his own. At the very least, he could put together something somewhat resembling a family tree. A neglectful mother, a cousin that took him in, his cousin’s boyfriend who pushed him off a pickup truck, and his cousin’s boyfriend’s nephew. Simple.

Shouyo sat him on the edge of the tub, gathering a bucket of warm water and a cup. “Can you undress or do I have to help you?” The boy’s voice was a little soft but otherwise monotonous. 

“I can do it.” Kageyama put his weight against the wall, trying his best to take off his shirt. Shouyo nodded.

“I’ll get you some clothes while you wash up.” With that Shouyo left the bathroom, leaving a naked Kageyama to bathe in silence. 

As he worked the soap into his hair, he wondered where he was. Oikawa couldn’t have gotten very far, especially when they were only in the pickup for at most three hours. It was more than likely they’d be in the same town. He made a mental note to ask Suga about it later.

Speaking of family, he grew more curious about the one tending to him as he washed his body. Daichi and Suga had a highschool sweethearts vibe to them, similar to Iwaizumi and Oikawa, though with what seemed to be much less arguing. Simple. From what he gathered, the siblings had been under the duo’s care for awhile, a few years if Natsu was comfortable enough to call Suga and Daichi her parents. But they didn’t seem to be related to either of them, Shouyo seemed more like an obedient kouhai than an adopted son or even a family friend.

Kageyama decided not to press the issue, hearing Shouyo’s soft footsteps from outside the door.

“Kageyama, can you dress?” He called through the door.

“Yeah.” He rinsed off the last of the suds and stood up carefully.

“I noticed your ankle might be twisted, so I’ll help you just a bit okay?”

He sighed, “Alright.”

Shouyo opened the door slowly, holding a fluffy towel over his eyes. “Marco?”

“Dumbass, I’m right here.” The words came out without a thought as he swiped the towel from the boy. 

The boy clicked his tongue, “What a way to treat someone who’s taking care of you.” Shouyo set a stack of clothes, obviously not his own, on the sink. “Come outside when you’re done.” The door shut loudly behind him and a faint “I’m done with my chores, I’ll be at Nishiya’s house for a bit!” followed by an “Alright, be back for lunch!” slipped under the door.

Kageyama struggled into the clothes, recognizing them as Suga’s considering Shouyo was much shorter and Daichi was much more muscular. After getting his head stuck in an arm sleeve, he carefully made his way through the hallway. Despite his best intuitions, he studied each of the frames he passed. 

There was only one where Shouyo was smiling brightly, a photo of him and few other boys at the lake, each a little red from the sun but still enjoying their slices of watermelon and each others company. To Kageyama, the sunny boy was drastically different from the somewhat stoic one he had met. 

A tan hand pointed to one of the boys next to Shouyo, one with brown hair and a single tuft of blonde. Kageyama tensed up, he heard Daichi chuckle behind him. “That’s Nishinoya Yuu.” He switched to another boy, taller than the two with freckles. “That’s Shouyo’s best friend, Yukitaka Izumi. He used to come over when the Hinatas first came into our care but we haven’t seen him in the last few years. Please forgive Shouyo for his aloof behavior, he’s been through a lot. Anyway, let’s check your ankle before we continue.”

Kageyama hummed, following Daichi to the living area where Suga was waiting with some gauze. He gently wrapped his ankle with a bandage while Daichi asked him some basic questions. 

“Where are you from?” Tokyo.

“Were you traveling with someone?” Yes.

“Who?” Cousin’s boyfriend.

“Do you have his number?” No.

“Do you have your phone?” No.

“Do you know what town you were heading to?” No.

“Fuck.” Yep.

“Daichi! Language!”

“Sorry.” He rubbed his head sheepishly. “I’ll ask Ukai to see if he knows anyone in town. Who are you looking for?”

“Oikawa Tooru, I’m not sure if the family we were visiting has the same name or not.” Daichi nodded, toying with the keys to his pickup. “Alright then, I’ll be back in a bit.” 

“Bye, Daichi.”

“Bye, Daddy!” Natsu chased Daichi all the way to the door before hopping back to Suga. “Can we go see Shouyo? I wanna see Nishinoya-nii-san play volleyball!”

“We can’t today Natsu, we have to take care of Kageyama-kun.” Suga patted her head. “We wouldn’t want him to all alone today right.”

“I could follow.” Kageyama scratched his cheek. “I don’t want to burden you when you’ve already done so much for me.”

“Yeah, daddy! Let’s go see Nishinoya-nii-san!” Natsu bounced on her heels. “Please daddy?”

“Ah alright.” Suga sighed, smiling at Natsu’s eagerness. “But you have to carry the watermelon, we can’t show up empty-handed right?”

“Easy! I’m the strongest here anyway.” Natsu ran off to get ready, leaving the two boys to converse.

“I’m sorry, Kageyama. I hope you don’t mind.” 

“It’s alright, I’m just sorry I’m imposing on your family life.”

“Ah don’t worry,” Suga tapped him on the back, stretching arms over his head. “We’ll have you back to your family soon.”

“Love me, love me, da-da da-da-da…” Natsu sang quietly in front of them. Suga had given Kageyama a painkiller before they left and now he trailed behind the man, who cautiously watched over his daughter. The pale man hummed along with his daughter's tune.

“Sugawara-san?” Kageyama asked, moving closer to the family. “Could I ask you something about Shouyo?”

Suga glanced at him before turning back to Natsu. “Go ahead.”

“How long has he been with you?”

Suga rubbed his neck. He closed his eyes as he hummed in thought. “Since he was thirteen.” He spoke calmly but it was clear the years had mushed together in his memory. “Around three years by his birthday.”

“He’s sixteen?” Kageyama felt his interest peak.

“Seventeen, he’s a summer baby.”

Suddenly, Natsu started to sprint towards a dip by the river. “Nishinoya-nii-san!” A loud grunt, followed by high pitched giggles, echoed from the trees.

“Natsu!” Suga rushed to the slope, chuckling at the sight, and while it took a second for Kageyama to catch up, the sight was well worth it.

A short brunet, Nishinoya, was pinned to the ground by Natsu, who was wrapped around his waist, and the watermelon that held his wrist to the ground. Shouyo stood over him, trying to pry Natsu away from him. “Natsu, get off of him!” 

“Natsu… I can’t… breathe.” Nishinoya rolled the melon off his wrist, playfully struggling to get the kid off of him. “Suga-san… help me.”

“I missed you Nishinoya-nii-san!” The girl only held on tighter, drawing a forced gasped from the poor man. 

“Alright Natsu, that’s enough.” Suga picked her up easily and set her beside him. “Are you alright, Noya?” 

“I’m alright.” He chuckled as he sat up with the help of Shouyo. “Good to see you, I was just heading over when I ran into Shouyo.”

“What a coincidence!”

“Oh,” Shouyo turned to face Kageyama. “You came too.” He nodded awkwardly.

“Who?” Nishinoya got to his feet, kicking the dirt off his shins. After getting a good look at Kageyama, he smiled and nodded his head. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Nishinoya Yuu.” 

“You’re really short.” He blurted out.  _ Shit. _

“Aw come on, since when was 5’5” considered short. I’m not too far from average am I?” The shorter sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

“You  _ are  _ pretty short for a twenty-year-old.” Shouyo held the watermelon, scoffing at the man’s shocked face. 

“We’re the same height!”

“I’m younger than you!” Shouyo punched his friend's shoulder jokingly, laughing at the upset face Nishinoya made. Suga and Natsu quickly joined in. “Come on, don’t be such a downer.”

“Anyway,” The brunet turned back to Kageyama. “Who are you?”

Kageyama tensed. “K-Kageyama Tobio. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Cool.” He grabbed Shouyo hand before turning to the road. “Come on, Shouyo. I still need to show you the net Ukai set up.”

“Coming!” 

“Sho-chan wait! We brought Nishinoya-nii-san a watermelon.”

“I never said you couldn’t come Natsu.” Nishinoya laughed. “You too, Suga. I bet you’ll enjoy this.”

Natsu stumbled quietly behind Nishinoya and her brother. The two chatted animatedly at the front of the group, leaving Kageyama and Suga in the back. Kageyama let his mind wander as he walked. He thought about if Oikawa had made it to the town safely, or if he’d even bothered to call and tell Iwaizumi about his absence. He wondered if Iwaizumi was worried or if he had called his mother to tell her. More importantly, strangely, he wondered how close Shouyo was to his friends, if he missed Izumi as much as Kageyama missed his old friends, or if Nishinoya was a suitable replacement. He caught a brief glimpse of Shouyo brushing his fingers against Nishinoya's hand, the older carefully caught his hand and held it gently.

Kageyama turned to face the river.

Meeting Nishinoya’s grandfather was an odd experience, given that he’d never see them again, but he had to admit watermelon grew very well out here.

He sat next to Natsu, who, aside from eating her own slice of watermelon, watched Suga, Shouyo, and Nishinoya play practice receives. He didn’t mention he was his team's setter, perfectly content studying the three from the sidelines.

Shouyo sucked at receiving but jumped abnormally high. Nishinoya seemed to enjoy diving for his spikes. Suga was a good setter, not too readable and not too unpredictable. Shouyo always seemed to know where he’d toss (he didn’t notice their hand signals until much much later). Even Natsu partook in the sport, though her receives were far clumsier than her brothers and her sets barely got over Suga’s head.

“Kageyama!” Nishinoya called to him as he finished his slice of watery goodness. “Wanna join?”

He shrugged, getting to his feet. The pain in his ankle had long dulled, he shot Suga a calming look when he saw his distress. “What do you play?”

“Setter.” He stood beside Nishinoya, who quickly traded places with Shouyo. 

“I’m libero, Shouyo’s a midblocker, and Suga’s a setter.” He smacked the taller’s back. “Don’t miss any balls and I’ll get them back to you.”

“I’m a setter too!” Natsu yelled from the sidelines.

“You get to be the referee today, how does that sound?” Suga tried to comfort her, it backfired immediately. 

“But that’s boring!”

“Natsu-chan,” Nishinoya knelt to her height. “We need someone to handle the most important job, can you do that for me?” The girl blushed and nodded her head eagerly. He leaned in to whisper in her ear, “Make sure you give me extra points okay?”

“Nishinoya-nii-san that’s cheating!” She giggled and shoved him away.

“Thank you, Natsu!”

“Stop hitting on my sister and hit the ball!” Shouyo stomped his foot jokingly. He turned to Kageyama and spoke quietly, “Let me receive, I’ll get it to you no matter what.” Kageyama nodded. 

Suga served and true to his word Shouyo received it clumsily. Kageyama’s mind went a mile a minute, he was all too aware of how fast he tossed the ball. He shut his eyes, expecting the ball to go flying past Shouyo. The sound of the ball crashing into something echoed in the wind and he could feel the oncoming argument.

“Kageyama,” Shouyo tapped his shoulder in passing. “You can’t set with your eyes closed!” When he opened his eyes, the ball was coming at him once again. Shakily, he gave a toss. 

Time seemed to slow down. In the second it took for him to toss, Shouyo had sprinted from the opposite end of the net and jumped. His palm centered at the ball, he hit with so much force it sent the ball straight towards the ground. It bounced pathetically as Natsu raised her hand to signal a point. The four of them stood quietly, unsure of what to make with the silence. Nishinoya’s sudden scream brought them back, “Kageyama!” The boy looked at him, still in a state of shock. “Do that again! I swear I will receive it!”

“Kageyama!” Shouyo snapped out of his trance. “One more! Give me one more!”

The sun was starting to set before any of them had remembered the flow of time. It was only when Natsu started to complain did they stop their game. Nishinoya apologized to the girl, patting her head and giving her a kind smile. He waved while they began the walk home. It was cut short when a familiar pickup pulled up in front of the house. Daichi waved the group over while a tall man with long hair went to greet Nishinoya, who immediately jumped and wrapped his legs around the waist of the former. Natsu huffed as an over-exaggerated ‘mwah!’ came from the couple. 

“Shou, Kageyama,” Daichi tapped the car as Natsu and Suga climbed in the front. “In the bed you go.”

Though a little unsettled, he let Shouyo pull him into the bed and settled amongst empty crates. Shouyo settled across from him, a volleyball with H.S scribbled on it rolled around the bed. Kageyama did his best to be polite. “You play volleyball?”

“No.” Shouyo followed the ball with his eyes. “Our school doesn’t have a team.”

“Oh,” Kageyama rubbed his neck awkwardly. “You’d be a good player to have.”

“Thank you.”

They sat in thick silence, he decided to try again. “I’m sorry I called you a dumbass earlier.”

Shouyo scoffed. “It’s okay. Seems like you had a rough day, wake up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“I woke up after I fell out of a truck.”

Shouyo burst into laughter, a sudden strong energy that reminded him of the Shouyo from earlier. “You fell out of a truck?” Kageyama nodded shyly, which only made Shouyo laugh louder. “What a start!” His brightness was contagious, had it been anyone else Kageyama wouldn’t be laughing at his own misfortune. Shouyo settled back to a quieter, friendlier demeanor. “How old are you, Kageyama?”

“I’m sixteen.”

“Cool, and you play volleyball?” Kageyama nodded.

“Setter.”

“Do you go to school in Miyagi?” 

He shook his head, “Tokyo.”

“You’re from the city? That’s awesome. Can you see Sky Tree from where you live?”

“Of course not, dumbass.” The word slipped from his lips, but Shouyo only smirked, throwing the volleyball at his chest. “I live in the suburbs.” He mumbled. 

“You’re the dumbass, dumbass.” Kageyama threw the ball back at the shorter boy. He laughed and they seemed to have started a game between themselves. 

“What’s your first name?” Shouyo asked when he nearly missed the ball. 

Kageyama caught the ball effortlessly as the vehicle came to a stop in front of the residence. He set tossed the ball back to Shouyo who in turn tossed it into the fenced yard. “It’s Tobio.”

“I wouldn’t consider you a hero.” Shouyo hopped out of the truck. Kageyama stumbled as the pain returned to his ankle. Falling the short height, he didn’t hit the ground as Shouyo caught him quickly. “If anything, I’m the hero.”

Kageyama only scoffed and pushed himself away. 

Suga immediately sent the siblings to clean up before dinner. While he got to work cooking, Daichi pulled Kageyama into another room. 

“There’s no one with the name Oikawa in this town, or the next one.” He looked at the teen somberly. “We could try the town two over, but it’s a three-hour ride there.”   
“I doubt he’d be that far.” Kageyama shrugged. “Do you have a landline? There’s someone I could try.”

“Do you know their number?"

“I could try.”

Daichi led him to their phone. It took a few tries but eventually, a calming voice picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Iwaizumi?”

“Tobio? What’s wrong?”  _ So he hasn’t told him. _

“It’s a little bit of a long story.”

“What did Tooru do?”

“I fell out of a truck-”

“You fell out of a truck?!” A soft ‘yeah’ came from his lips. “Where is Tooru?!”

“That’s the thing. We got separated- Oh! I’m fine, so don’t worry, someone is taking care of me. I just need one of you to come and get me.”

He heard Iwaizumi sigh. “Who’s taking care of you?”

“Do you want to talk to him?” He sensed Iwaizumi nod and handed the phone to Daichi. He watched quietly as they spoke to each other. It didn’t take long for Suga to call them into the kitchen. He waited for Daichi to hand the phone back to him. “Hello?”

“Tobio,” The distinct sound of Iwaizumi hitting his face in annoyance echoed through the old phone. “Be good for that family okay? I’ll see if Tooru can get you tomorrow or I’ll be there to pick you up in the evening.”

“Alright, bye Iwaizumi.”

“Be good.”

“Yamayama-kun!” Shouyo called from the kitchen. “Come eat!”

“Yamayama?”

“I said bye Iwaizumi!” He pushed the phone back on the receiver, walking to the kitchen quickly.

Dinner was by far the nicest thing he’d experienced since being born. Suga was an amazing cook who didn’t try to poison him, and Shouyo was there to keep the conversation lively. Natsu begrudgingly ate her food, spitefully stabbing everything with her sticks. Daichi made the mistake of asking if it was her puppy crush on Nishinoya again and got the last piece of meat stolen by the girl as punishment. 

Suga gave Kageyama a pair of clean nightclothes for him to borrow, leaving him to change in the bathroom while he got a spare futon set up in the kids room. He set his day clothes folded neatly on top of the hamper before heading back out to the hallway. He followed the sound of Suga’s voice to the kid's room, where Natsu was already sleeping and Shouyo was settling in another futon on the floor. Suga gave the siblings one last pat on the head before leaving, closing the door on his way out.

“Why aren’t you on your bed?” Kageyama whispered when the hall lights went out. Shouyo hummed.

“It’s easier to talk when we’re both on the floor.” He said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. “And it makes it feel like a sleepover.”

“I’ve only known you for a day, dumbass.”

“You’re the dumbass, bakageyama.” Shouyo sat up, peeking under the door. “Wanna see something cool?”

Kageyama sat up as well. “What do you mean?”

“I have a horse. Do you wanna see it?”

“You’re weird.” Shouyo scoffed, rolling his eyes. He grabbed Kageyama by the wrist before pulling him up. “What are you doing?”

“Taking you to see a horse duh.” Shouyo wove through the house, making his way out the backdoor and through the garden to a small barn structure. Inside was a small horse. “See? A horse.”

“I think that’s a mule.”

Shouyo looked shocked, going up to greet the animal. “I am so sorry, Izumin.” He gave the animal a soft stroke and it huffed quietly, falling asleep at the drop of a dime.

“You named it Izumin?” Kageyama joined Shouyo at the animal's side. 

“After my best friend.” Kageyama hummed, thinking back to the early morning. 

“It’s a nice name.”

“Izumi was a nice person.” Shouyo shrugged. “I don’t know, I just miss him.” 

_ I can understand that. _

“But it’s fine,” Shouyo turned to leave the barn. “I hope he’s made new friends.”

“That’s nice.” They left the wooden structure, but Shouyo stayed by the door, staring into the sky.

“What’s your family like Kageyama?” His voice trembled just a bit.

He hummed quietly, “Weird.”

“What are they like?”

“Well,” He started with the beginning. “My mother doesn’t want me, so my cousin takes care of me.” He remembered Iwaizumi, who at only twenty one accepted Kageyama into his home. It’s a fond memory until he remembers the first time he met Oikawa. “He lives with his boyfriend, who’s kinda an asshole.” Shouyo snorted. 

“More of an asshole than you?”

“Definitely.” He sighed. “But that’s my family I guess.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

“If you consider getting tossed out a truck ‘pretty cool.’” He smiled when Shouyo chuckled again. “They’re pretty cool I guess.” He admitted.

“Suga and Daichi are pretty cool too.” Shouyo smiled fondly. “Working on the farm is kinda fun too if you’re into that. I wouldn’t really know, I’ve only been here a few years.”

“What happened to your family?” The boy next to him tensed. “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.”   
Shouyo sighed, “I need to start talking about it one day.” He took a shaky breath. “My mom died a few years ago. That’s why my sister and I live with Daichi and Suga, even though they went to school with Noya and I went to school with Noya when he was about to graduate. We’re not far in age so I don’t see them as parents like Natsu does.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that.” Kageyama patted his shoulder awkwardly. 

“I know,” Shouyo started to walk back to the house. “It’s just a little different.” They walked together in silence, Kageyama followed Shouyo through the halls until they reached his bedroom. As they were settling into their futons once again, Shouyo stopped.

“What is it?” Kageyama asked, pulling the blanket over his waist.

“Wanna see my town in Animal Crossing?”

…

“Sure.”

“Yamayama-kun, wake up.” A rough hand shook his shoulders. He bitterly opened his eyes, the sunlight barely peeked through the window, leaving the room a shadowy space. “I know it’s early, it’s time to eat!”

He sat up to greet Shouyo, who was already dressed in a plaid shirt and loose jeans. A bouncing Natsu stood in the doorway behind him. Kageyama groaned, “What time is it?”

“Five thirty, five forty-five maybe?” Shouyo laughed at Kageyama’s sour face. “Come on, Yamayama-kun. You didn’t even beat the sun!”

“I’m up, I’m up.” He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Good, I’ll leave your clothes here.” He was handed a stack of his clothes. Shouyo gently coaxed his sister into the hallway. “We’ll see you in the kitchen.”

Kageyama tried his best to dress quickly, getting his head caught in the sleeves more times than he’d like to admit before he managed to get his shirt on. Thankfully his jeans were more complacent and he hastily stumbled out of the room. In the kitchen, Suga was waiting with the rest of the family. Shouyo had already torn apart his meal, halfway out the backdoor with the watering can. He sent a happy wave to Kageyama before disappearing into the yard. Natsu drank pulpy juice next to Suga, Daichi was nowhere to be seen.

“Good morning, Kageyama.” Suga stood up and grabbed a plate filled with eggs, bread, and fruit. He set it in front of Kageyama, who thanked him quietly. “Milk or juice?”

“Milk, please.” He drank eagerly when the carton was set before him.

“I’ll be in the yard, you could just leave the dishes in the sink.”

“Is there anything I could do to help?”

Suga chuckled, “Nothing but farm work, you could check with Shouyo if you want but don’t worry too much.” He patted Kageyama’s head before heading out. He ate his food calmly, Natsu finished her juice quickly and rinsed out the glass before heading out the door as well. He’d barely finished when Shouyo peeked his head into the window next to the table. Kageyama jumped.

“Wanna ride a horse?” Shouyo’s muffled voice reached his ears before dying. The redhead had his cheek and lips pressed against the glass, an excited gaze looking at him patiently. Kageyama sighed,

“Sure.” Shouyo smiled brightly, running into the house and dragging Kageyama to the barn by his wrist. The wide barn doors had been cracked open to reveal Izumin trotting happily in place. The animal whinnied and tossed its head upon seeing Shouyo. The boy expertly saddled the beast before stepping aside. Kageyama stared at him. “What?”

“Get on!” Shouyo smiled widely, completely unfazed by Kageyama’s confused expression. 

“I don’t know how to?” Shouyo looked at him strangely. “I’ve never ridden a horse.”

“Oh,” Shouyo looked at the small horse, rubbing his neck. “Well first… you get on-”

“How?” Shouyo hummed, effortlessly hopping onto the horse. “Okay but how?”

“Just get on, Bakageyama!” He huffed, pulling Kageyama onto the horse, he ended up facing Shouyo instead of the horses head. Shouyo immediately started laughing loudly. “That works!”

“Dumbass.” Kageyama struggled but eventually turned around. “Now what?”

“Hold on tight!” Shouyo snapped the reigns and the horse darted out of the barn. Kageyama squeaked, startled by the sudden movement. Shoyo laughed happily as the horse hopped around the yard. 

“Shouyo!” He heard Suga yell from some direction. “Don’t shake him too much!” 

“Sure!” Shouyo laughed as Izumin ran around yard excitedly. “Having fun?”

“God no!” He felt his stomach do flips in his body, a general nasty feeling overtaking his body. “I’m… done.”

Shouyo took pity on the boy and calmed Izumin, letting Kageyama slide off the beast and fall into a stack of hay. Shouyo snorted, guiding his horse around the boy. “How was it?”

Kageyama shakily rose to his feet. “Terrible.” 

Shouyo scoffed, “Rude!” 

“Kageyama, someone’s here to see you.” Natsu led someone through the fence. Oikawa followed the little girl, strangely moving slower than Kageyama expected. His eyes were cast downwards and he didn’t seem to see Kageyama. Suga went to greet him, pointing in the direction of the dark-haired boy. Oikawa raised his head and looked blankly at Kageyama. Before Kageyama could blink, Oikawa had sprinted to his side and fell to his knees, holding the boy close to his chest. He tried to push the man away, only to feel a steady stream of tears roll onto his shoulder. Oikawa was crying.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, struggling to breathe as he spoke. “I’m so sorry, Tobio.”  _ No honorific _ , Kageyama noted. “I should’ve been awake to watch you. I should’ve been holding you.” He hiccuped, holding Kageyama tighter. “I shouldn’t have let you drive. I should’ve left you with Iwa even if I’d be alone. I’m so stupid, Tobio, I’m so stupid and I’m so sorry.”

How the world went silent was beyond him. The only sounds that he could register were Oikawa’s loud, and grossly wet, crying and his staggered breathing. He didn’t know what to do aside from gently patting his back.

“Thank you for taking care of Tobio, please let me compensate you for your troubles.” Oikawa was practically bending before Suga. “I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.”

“Please, it’s nothing.” Suga rubbed his neck sheepishly. “Just take good care of him for me.”

Oikawa spent a while thanking Suga while Shouyo sat next to Kageyama. 

“Have fun in Tokyo okay? Send me pictures of the Sky Tree.”

Kageyama nodded, basking in Shouyo’s positive atmosphere. “I’ll visit one day, with photos of the Sky Tree.”

“Tobio!” Oikawa called to him from their fixed car. “It’s time to go home.”

Shouyo sighed. “I guess I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah,” Kageyama felt a deep, unsettling feeling sitting in his stomach. “I’ll see you.”

“I’ll see you.” Shouyo gave him an awkward side hug before heading back to Suga’s side. Hesitantly, Kageyama climbed into the passenger side. Oikawa also gave him one last hug before starting the engine.

A ring came from Oikawa’s phone, he smirked knowingly. Cautiously, Kageyama picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“Yamayama-kun!” A sunny voice screamed through the phone. “Don’t forget to come back! I won’t forgive you if you forget!”

Kageyama smiled, a soft blush covering his cheeks. 

“I’d never forget.”   



End file.
